Weather Service looks at hurricane warnings

MIAMI- The National Weather Service is considering how it issues severe weather watches and warnings.

Spokesman Chris Vaccaro said in an email Wednesday the proposal would give the weather service the option to issue watches and warnings for storms that threaten life and property even if they are no longer hurricanes or tropical storms.

The proposal has not been adopted, but attendees at a hurricane conference last week discussed it.

The National Hurricane Center was criticized last month following Superstorm Sandy because it stopped issuing hurricane warnings after sustained winds fell below the hurricane threshold of 74 miles per hour.

Some argue that this caused residents in the Northeast to not realize the danger of the storm that did billions of dollars in damage.